Ben

This is a family site after all so I don't think I could go into detail about my first real kiss except to say that it happened when I was 21 (yes, I was a very late bloomer) and further description would only lead to more detail than is appropriate at this hour and for this family site.

WFO, allow me to add my thoughts and prayers to you for the unpleasant business. Even though Karma is gone from this site, we can only hope that "what goes around comes around" and the evil-doers (a GWB reference) will get theirs in the end.

It is 8am in NYC and Danise made the only post so far before me. Where is everyone?

Logged

Ben

Danise, hitting a plateau in weight loss is not necessarily a bad thing. It's one of the difficult parts of a diet. You have steady weight loss then the body starts to stabilize and no matter what you do, you have trouble losing another pound or two (or three). The plateau can stay for quite a while also. When you reach that point, as someone said at a Weight Watchers meeting, measure yourself as well as weighing yourself and think in terms of inches lost instead of pounds lost.

Panni - I need more info on the toxic danger you mentioned, as I'm hoping to reap part of the class action lawsuit that must be in progress. No ill health effects . . . yet.

First kiss was in the little theatre in the aforementioned place. There was a little passage-way where the curtain goes when its drawn. This leads to a dressing room, but, no matter what position the curtain's in, it's very cramped in there, a little like being wrapped in blankets. That's where Nancy Roseman and I gave in to our 16-year-old desires.

Tonight's the night, on a curtain-less stage (for it is round) - the show I've spent very long hours rehearsing. My call, today, is 11:20 a.m. which means I'll be playing for seven hours non-stop before anybody thinks of giving me a dinner break. You, and only you, DRs, get to look at the list of songs the graduating musical theatre students will be performing...

A Wild, Wild Party music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa After School Special music and lyrics by William DreskinDon't Ask Me Why music by Frank Wildhorn and Linda Eder; lyrics by Jack MurphyColored Lights music by John Kander; lyrics by Fred EbbCould You Use Me/Shall We Dance? music by George Gershwin; lyrics by Ira GershwinJackie music by Gerald Jouannest; lyrics by Jacques Brel; translated by Mort Shuman & Eric BlauHere's To Love music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott WittmanMiss Byrd music by David Shire; lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.A Call From the Vatican music and lyrics by Maury YestonWhat Is It About Her? music and lyrics by Andrew LippaThe Boy From... music by Mary Rodgers; lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Pretty Young Men music by Lucy Simon; lyrics by Susan BirkenheadThe Portrait music and lyrics by Amanda McBroomWig In a Box music and lyrics by Stephen Trask The Girl in 14G music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by Dick ScanlanBluer Than You music by David Evans; lyrics by Winnie HolzmanGlitter and Be Gay music by Leonard Bernstein; lyrics by Richard WilburI Move On/Hot Honey Rag music by John Kander; lyrics by Fred Ebb7pm at Broadway's Circle in the Square. It's free and you don't need a ticket. Just walk in. See you there.

Another late bloomer here! I was a grad student, playing Petey in Pinter's BIRTHDAY PARTY (that's alliterative!), and at the cast party the actress playing Meg slipped me the tongue. I was one of many men to have that close encounter at the party. She was just looking for love in all the wrong places. And she was really really drunk.

Logged

"There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats" - Albert Schweitzer

Good morning. Why I'm up so early I have no idea. I just spoke to a relentlessly efficient woman in India about an AOL problem I had. She solved it with such "obey me or I'll kill you" instructions that I think I would have assassinated James Gregory had she shown me the right card. (That doesn't really make sense, but it's so interesting I'll leave it.)

FS Pogue - Thanks for answering my question yesterday. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my Alice Through the Looking Glass Experiences ("Could you cut 20 pages. And here are 40 pages worth of new scenes we'd like you to add.").

Question of the Day: I don't remember my first real kiss. I know it was my freshman year of college (I too was a later starter.) I know it was with a student by the name of Alan who was in third year (an older man) studying to be a director. He was very handsome and (I thought) incredibly sophisticated. We met at an audition that he was watching. He came over to me after the auditions and asked me out. I almost fainted. Couldn't figure out why someone like him would be interested in someone like me. I had such low self-esteem back then about my attractiveness. When I look now at pictures of the very young me, I see quite a pretty girl - in a different way, true - but pretty. My daughter looks very much like I looked back then, and people are always telling me how lovely she is. That's been quite an eye-opener. I truly believed back then that I was too plain to exist. But I digress... However, perhaps what I just said will be instructive to some of our younger female HHWers who do go on sometimes about being too this, or not enough that. You are BEAUTIFUL. And you are YOUNG. Enjoy it because it sure doesn't last forever.But, to get back to the question at hand, I have no specific memory of the first time. We did some very nice kissing as I recall, but no First Time memory pops up. All I do remember vividly is that he dumped me when I wouldn't immediately go to bed with him. (I hesitated because I was petrified of not being "worldly" enough for him.)

Noel, I just went to your OUR WEDDING - THE MUSICAL page. How incredibly swell all that musta been. Now I know why I never married... nobody was ever creative enough for me... So, are there CD's of your other shows???

Oh, Panni... been there, known the Hell of "Not attractive enough to be allowed to live" - It still crops up periodically, especially at my age, especially NOW when I'm re-entering The Biz - I weigh all of 115 pounds, but I'm on a friggin DIET, cuz I have performances in 10 days. And lookin' for Botox, except I'd look like a zombie in need of a hickey; maybe just a little mini-lift. I'm going to the gym every day (yes, folks, I'll be in Bristol a total of two weeks, and I JOINED A GYM). And my idol is Barbara Cook - when I grow up I wanna be her.

Noel - There are many news stories you can pick up, Here's a short one from a while ago:Erin Brockovich at it again. According to an article on CNN.com, Attorney Ed Masry and his star environmental research director, Erin Brockovich, filed claims in court on April 28, 2003, on behalf of 25 alumni of the Beverly Hills Unified School District. The claims allege that oil drilling at the famous Beverly Hills high school (which the school benefitted from financially) released toxic levels of benzene and N-hexane, among other chemicals, effecting the health of over two hundred students. The school’s cancer rate is 20 to 30 times the national average. The filing is the beginning step to a lawsuit which Masry’s law firm (Masry & Vititoe) expects to file against the city, school district and oil companies involved sometime in the next month. School district officials say tests done for the school by a regional environmental agency found no evidence of toxic gases at the site, but repeated tests conducted by an environmental specialist for Masry’s law firm found high levels of cancer-causing chemicals like benzene and toluene near the school’s athletic fields. The oil rig produced about 450 barrels of oil and over 120,000 cubic meters of natural gas a day, and brought in millions of dollars in revenue for the school district.

PennyO - I only met you only once, at Bruce's party, but I remember thinking even before we were introduced what a great looking woman you were. So go to the gym to be healthy, not to be beautiful. You're already there.

I'd go back to bed - but the poolman is outside - I live in a guesthouse which is next to a pool - and Abie the wonderdog is busy guarding the premises from him. Maybe if I just get into bed and pull the covers over my head, Abie will believe we're safe from imminent poolman attack and relax.Have to get up soon anyway and start my day. I need to cut my script. Want to have it done and to the producers by Tuesday, latest. ...But I may try the nice warm bed for a few minutes.

PennyO - I only met you only once, at Bruce's party, but I remember thinking even before we were introduced what a great looking woman you were. So go to the gym to be healthy, not to be beautiful. You're already there.

Panni, how dear. Thanks. But we're not talkin' sane or reasonable, here. My novel's "heroine" grapples with my self-image delusions for 240 pages... I know I'm not alone. So many of us feel we're never quite "enough". And those of us who live - and age - in front of audiences may be more prone to the insanity than civilians are. And, wow, it IS insanity!!! But it's also funny, it gets laughs, so I guess I'll hang on to it!!!

As for Scooter Girl (again) - If she does come back, it will be interesting to see how the public reacts to her. It will be very interesting. -And I just have to wonder if the producers of AI are compensating the (poor) "She Bangs, She Bangs" guy for their continual referencing of him. -Or did he sign away all of his "rights" in the initial relase form? -Probably...

William Hung (the She Bang guy) is actually getting a lot of attention. Apparently he has a fansite dedicated to him and received 7 million hits. He has been on Entertainment Tonight. And he was also on Ryan Seacrest's On Air tv show. He has been offered acting roles, including on 8 Simple Rules. Personally, I think this guy is hilarious. Although I am totally shocked by all the attention he has been getting.

As for Scooter Girl, I sort of feel like most viewers probably feel like me and LOVE her. But who knows, maybe some people don't care for her. I still don't know if she'll be in the wild card show. But I hope so.

BTW, what happened to everyone's comments about the results show last night? I saw a few people mention they were going to talk about it. But I didn't read anything.

I was not too surprised with the outcome. But I sort of thought the public might vote in that cute guy (who was 3rd) rather than little Diana.

The part that bugged me is that to me it seemed more like the judges fixed the vote, rather than let the public think on their own. The two that won (Fantasia and 16 yr old Diana) were the judges favorites BEFORE they even sang. They have been praising them. And IMO, the comments they gave, almost guaranteed their success. I hate it when the judges go overboard saying someone is the best, a huge star ... it makes people think they'd have to be crazy not to realize it.

There were two baseball diamonds in our grammar school playground. When the recess bell rang, everybody would race out to touch home base. Whoever touched it first, their team was first up to bat. More than once, I would beat this boy named Kenny to home plate. He got so angry that he began punching me in the arm (I had a bruise on my left arm for weeks). Then one day, near the swings, he kissed me on the cheek. And I, lady that I am, hauled off and slapped him across the face! How, do you ask, did I learn this particular response? I saw it in a MOVIE! This one experience supports my long held theory that the way most children learn is by imitation.

You will shoot the nominee through the head at the point in his speech when he says - "....that which I would give myself....my life before my liberty...." This should happen about a minute and half into the speech, depending on his reading time under pressure.

Johnny will lift Ben Arthur's body in his arms, fighting off anyone who tries to stop him, risking his life....I will have someone take the body and Johnny will begin to speak. The speech has been worked on here and in Russia for ten years. It's the most rousing speech I have ever read....calculated to rouse the crowd into hysteria which will sweep us into the White House with power that will make martial law look like anarchy.

And when I am there I will crush them beneath my feet for what they have done to you, and for what they have done in so contemptuously underestimating ....me. Spoken by Mrs Iselin...written by George Axelrod & Richard Condon.

Paraphrased and edited a bit...but still the most shocking and horrifying moment I have ever had in cinema....especially when she seals it with a soul kiss....to her son!

I was a freshman in college (18 years old) when I got my first real kiss. I was helping to tutor Spanish to the center on our football team. We were seated on a couch in his dorm room when he sprang across the sofa and laid one on me. I was startled because I had had no inkling of any attraction he had for me, but it was the start of a very intense but ultimately painful six month affair.

First kiss? Well, that would have to be somewhere around third grade, when Patty Sue B. and I told everyone we were "going together". It should have been Mary Kay Place, who lived next door, but she was two years younger than me and not interested in an older man.

The teacher left the room, and Patty Sue and I, at the urging of her female friends, stood up and planted a chaste little peck on each other's lips, to the delight of all about.

Can you tell by the names that this was in Oklahoma?

If we count only kisses that occur after we are aware that there's much more to it than kissing, I'll have to wait for college, and that would be Jerry S, after a beer bust. 'Nuff said. Oh, a Stan Lee reference!

I am attempting to find any contact information for Leland Palmer. We are doing a series at WNET/Channel 13 on the history of the Broadway musical and she may have some photos that we would like to use in the documentary. If anyone has any information for her or knows anybody that may have any contact info, please let me know.Thanks so much!

Our Wedding - The Musicalwww.weddingmusical.comis my first musical to appear on CD. I've video copies of one of the two musicals created to be corporate videos. But the eleven other produced shows could only be enjoyed by the live theatre audience.

Yes, there will be exceptional talent on stage tonight at 7. I wouldn't allow anybody to do Glitter and Be Gay (or The Girl in 14G, for that matter) unless they could truly pull it off. And another of the singers had the heady experience of being coached by their eminent composer.

Oh, I remember my first real kiss quite well. Like some other Dear Readers, I'm too bashful to share details, save that it was during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school and l liked it. I liked it a lot.